The station said authorities are not expected to press charges on anyone involved.

Police said Thomas and his son travelled from Phoenix to a friend's home in Prescott Valley for a surprise visit. When the four-year-old arrived, he allegedly found a loaded gun in the home, brought it over to his father to ask him a question about it, and then pulled the trigger.

The station said that Thomas later died at a nearby hospital.

Brandon Bonney of the Prescott Valley Police said that the gun should have been locked away but since Thomas's friend was caught off-guard by the visit, it wasn't.

The Prescott Daily Courier reported Thomas was an Army special forces veteran who served in Iraq.